


The Brand Thief

by StardustPrincess (WordyWrites)



Category: Aikatsu Stars!, アイカツ! アイドルカツドウ! | Aikatsu!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:22:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23829046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordyWrites/pseuds/StardustPrincess
Summary: Ako and her friends have organised a trip to the mountains to take a much-needed break from their rapidly-growing aikatsu. Well no, taking breaks is probably aikatsu, too.It's just a shame that the brand thief herself, Kirara, is also coming. And it seems she has something else in mind for her next heist!
Relationships: Hanazono Kirara/Saotome Ako
Kudos: 2





	1. *Who* is coming?!

**Author's Note:**

> This Aikatsu Stars! fic is currently intended to be solely Kirara x Ako in flavour, with some inevitable (heavy?) teasing of other girl/girl ships. The straight ships seem to be much more popular in Aikatsu! fanfic places, so this is your warning that I don't anticipate any boys showing up in the story at all. I'd like to have a go at writing something straight (almost surely Ako x Kanata) sometime, though! Assuming this one turns out okay...
> 
> This story is probably pretty unashamedly "ficcy", but I'm doing my best to keep things feeling relatively realistic and in-character. Hopefully. I sometimes think of the dialogue in  
> Japanese and try to translate it back into English, so anything weird about any dialogue is probably for that reason (or at least that's my excuse! ^.^;;).
> 
> I have been agonising and re-writing pieces of this again and again, and I'm deciding no, I'm just going to post what I have. Please, all feedback is appreciated and will motivate me to keep submitting more chapters (I have a few more already written!).
> 
> The story takes place right after episode 73 of the anime. 
> 
> SLIGHT SPOILER  
> \-------------------------------------------------  
> This is right when Rainbow Berry Parfait has been formed, and before Ako and Kirara agree to become double muses. Did their working together in episode 74 seem to come out of nowhere? Maybe this story fills in those gaps. Or maybe it just makes no sense inside the canon because I missed some critical details x.x  
> \-------------------------------------------------
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Yume was smiling her familiar giddy smile, her butt practically bouncing in her seat with excitement.  
"Big news about tomorrow! You'll never guess!" she told their gathered group of five.  
"What is it?" Mahiru's "get to the point" tone brought a pout to Yume's pink lips, but her voice remained just as enthusiastic as she continued.  
"Well I messaged the Venus Ark girls, and it turns out they're able to get the time off too! They're coming on our trip!"  
"That gets me going!" Laura replied quickly.  
"Mm, that's great," Koharu agreed with a gentle smile.  
"Yeah, why not?" Mahiru chimed in, starting to sound a little excited herself.  
Only one of them hadn't weighed in on the news, and little by little every other head turned in the direction of the pretty theatre club member with long red hair, expertly formed as always into the shape of a bow atop her head.  
"...Ako-chan?" Koharu eventually asked.  
"Hm?" She played dumb even as her face went and betrayed her, a frown playing on her lips, and her cheeks quickly starting to blush.  
"How do you feel if some Venus Ark girls come on our trip?"  
"Fine! W-why should I mind if some Venus Ark girls come?" she answered, the strain in her voice obvious.  
"Reeeally. Even Kirara-chan?" Laura prodded with a smirk.  
At that point Ako's face finished turning the colour of her hair. Her fingers dug into her skirt under the table, so that they wouldn't form into a claw shape and get pointed Laura's way.  
"Nnnya?! I certainly couldn't care less about whether *she* is coming!"  
Yume didn't even blink. "I'm sorry, Ako-chan. I thought it'd be fun!"  
"F-fun?!" she questioned incredulously, before she could stop herself. Great, now even her mouth was betraying her.  
"Ako-chan, kawaii!" Koharu chimed. Ako's fingers gripped the fabric of her skirt harder, and her frown deepened. It quickly became too much for her.  
"She's a brand thief! An idol pirate from that accursed ship! The enemy!"  
Yume's big brown eyes shifted to concern.  
"Uuu... I knew I shouldn't have invited her..."  
"No, it is fine," declared Ako, quickly and shakily standing up. "I shall simply withdraw my own attendance." She kept her face as stoic as she could (not particularly), her heart thumping violently in her chest.  
"Ako-chan!"  
"Ako!"  
The girls called out to her, but she turned with a dramatic flourish, and started clomping away stiffly in the heels of her S4 uniform. A set of looks of exasperation and disbelief were shared around the table, before their faces turned to the fleeing redhead. Watching as Ako glanced back over her shoulder, saw them all looking at her, and snapped her head back straight with a "Hmph!" they could hear in their heads.

Mahiru shook her head, fingers pressed to her forehead in stress. Laura's frustration manifest in a hand pushed through her long pink hair. Yume slumped forwards in her seat, resting her head on the table. Only Koharu's face remained calm, showing a placid sort of smile.  
"What do we do?" Yume whined.  
"Do we really have to pick one to go?" Laura asked.  
"We shouldn't *have to*," Mahiru complained. "Isn't she being a bit too childish?"  
"Ako-chan says things like that. I don't think she means it," Koharu suggested.  
"Maybe..." Laura cautiously agreed. "But is she going to stop meaning it by tomorrow?"  
A proper smile broke out onto Koharu's face. "Oh, I think so!"  
"How can you be sure?" Laura asked. Yume lifted her head, hope breaking through onto her face.  
"Juuust a feeling." There was a mysterious edge to Koharu's voice, a conspiratorial sparkle in her violet eyes.  
Laura looked blankly back at her, paused for a few seconds. Then she suddenly broke into a grin. "That gets me going!"

\---

Ako flopped herself into bed, exhausted. It had been such a long day filming Ako Nyan Nyan, practising the choreography for a new song, and training in the gymnasium that she'd barely had time to think about the situation from that morning. Now that she had a moment to herself though, even the M4 posters on her wall weren't enough to keep the cloud over her head away. She stared at Subaru's perfect face, but felt nothing. Couldn't even bring herself to grumble internally about Kanata's smug, disarming smile. All she could think about was Kirara.

Why did she have to be coming? Ako had been looking forward to this trip ever since Yume had first suggested it, some time up in the mountains absolutely what she needed after the last few months of busy aikatsu. Even Mahiru's filling up the schedule with a bunch of outdoor activities hadn't managed to dampen her enthusiasm. Kirara coming, though, was unacceptable. What was that pastel-haired airhead going to bring to the trip anyway, other than trouble? Probably just wanted to come rub Fuwa Fuwa dream in her face some more, condescend her with more stupid cat toys...

Ako dug her fingers hard into Subaru-kyun, hugging the plush doll to her chest. "Aaaah, she's so irritating!" she said out loud.  
"Who is?" The familiar voice came from the door, soon followed by a knock. Ako sighed. If it had been anyone else, she'd have angrily told them to stop eavesdropping and let her get some sleep, with all of her usual fluster. Instead she rose back up onto her feet and padded over to unlock the door. "Come in, Koharu."  
"Good evening, Ako-chan." Koharu stood there in the doorway, dressed in slippers and a pair of sky blue pyjamas, printed with clouds and stars. Ako too was wearing her sleepwear, a tiny pair of shorts and a button-up shirt both in pale pink and trimmed in white, a little detail of a cat's face on one side of the chest of her top. "I'm coming in." Koharu gave a quiet rendition of the set phrase, and entered. Then she strode on over to Ako's bed, sat down on the edge of it, and patted a spot next to her. "Come sit."  
Ako reddened a little. Since when was Koharu this direct? She remained staring near the doorway, watching the violet-haired girl warily. The events from that morning played over again in her head. It wasn't until a good five seconds later that she started to cross the room toward the offered seat on the bed, gingerly sitting herself down next to Koharu in a fashion much like a shy kitten.

It was even longer before either girl spoke.  
"You seem... different." Ako broke the silence.  
"Do I?"  
"Yeah. I guess you grew up over there on Venus Ark."  
"And you haven't changed a bit, Ako-chan."  
Was that a jab? Ako didn't give it her usual reaction. "Humu..." She let herself lay backwards onto the bed, her legs still left bent over the edge. She stared at the ceiling, slowly allowing her aquamarine eyes to close. Thinking, but saying nothing.

"Hnnya?!" Her eyes suddenly shot back open as she felt Koharu's hand on her tummy, resting there gently. It shouldn't have surprised her, they'd always been a touchy-feely pair of friends, at least in private. It had never felt like this before, though. Her body tingled, uncomfortably, and the redness of her cheeks spread rapidly across her face, seeping all the way back to her ears. What was going on with her?

Whatever it was, she had to shift her focus. Even if it meant starting the conversation she'd been dreading. "I suppose you're here to convince me to go on the trip tomorrow."  
"I'm here because I'm your friend, Ako-chan."  
"...thanks." Ako could barely enunciate the word, suddenly hit by another wave of guilty recollection of how she'd acted that morning. She went quiet again.  
"Hey. Sit up." Koharu's hand gave Ako's stomach a tap to emphasise the request. There were no doubts at that point - Koharu was definitely being more assertive!

Ako did as suggested, and immediately felt the weight beside her start to shift. Koharu moved to sit behind her, one leg on either side of her hips. Then the designer's hands grasped Ako's shoulders, and gave them a gentle squeeze.  
"Nyaaa..." She had forgotten how good this felt.  
"You really don't want her to come?"  
"No," Ako admitted. Few were the secrets that could be kept from a Koharu backrub.  
"Why not? She's really crazy about you, you know..."  
"She just acts like that because she knows it gets to me!"  
Koharu responded with a gentle laugh from behind her. "Is that what you think?" Her fingers dug carefully into Ako's shoulderblades, and the redhead just about purred as she felt the physical stresses of the long day melt away.  
"Of course! She took Fuwa Fuwa Dream, and now just holds it in front of my face!"  
"Oh? I thought she wanted to be double muses with you." There was a hint of superiority to Koharu's tone, the girl clearly trying to make a point.  
"O-only after she stole it away from me first!"  
"Didn't she win it fair and square?" More of that knowing tone. If not for how wonderful the backrub felt, Ako might have gotten angry. "The way I see it, you're ruining this trip for yourself, just because your rival is coming."  
"Of course I am! Who wants their rival to come on a trip with them?"  
"Yume-chan and Laura-chan don't seem to mind."  
"But that... that's completely different!"  
"Who's making it different? You, or Kirara-chan?"  
Ako closed her eyes, her breath escaping her mouth in a defeated sigh. She'd never thought about it like that, and the more she did, the more she thought Koharu might even be right. She usually was. "...fine. I get your point."

Koharu's thumbs worked in small circles, starting just on either side of a point perhaps about midway down Ako's spine. The bow-haired girl sighed again, but this time it was more of a sound of contentment.  
"You don't have to like her, just... try to be nice to her, okay? For me?"  
Those last two words caught Ako off guard. Why did Koharu care so much about it? And why did she have to ask like that, knowing she'd never say no?  
"I guess it can't be helped," Ako delivered one of her catchphrases, but without its usual passion. Still, she brightened a little.  
Koharu smiled behind her. "After all, it'd be a shame to let some girl mess up your time off with your friends."  
Ako groaned, face re-reddening. "How did they take it?"  
"Honestly? They'd probably all go without you."  
Ako pouted. "Choosing the Venus Ark girls over me? Well, let them! I didn't want to go any- mph!"  
She suddenly found Koharu's hand pressed over her mouth, cutting off her words. She shivered at the electric sensation of touch to her lips.  
"Don't be silly. We all want you to come. Are you really going to let someone like Kirara stop you?"  
The hand left Ako's lips, and more of her fire returned to her. "As if I, Ako Saotome, would ever! And after the trip, I shall take back Fuwa Fuwa Dream!"  
Koharu gave a defeated chuckle. "Alright."  
"Koharu?"  
"Mm?"  
"Thanks for always looking out for me."  
"You're so cute, Ako-chan."

The two girls remained there on the edge of Ako's bed a little longer, the massage continuing until the redhead caught her head starting to nod. She was asleep the moment Koharu encouraged her head to the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shipping nonsense begins.

Ako awoke alone in her bed, barely feeling the consequences of all yesterday's exercise. Sitting up with a stretch, she smiled to herself as she remembered the night before. The chat with Koharu had her feeling a lot better. She got ready quickly, dressing herself in a white blouse with a treble clef printed on its collar, and a teal pair of suspender shorts. Comfy pink sneakers instead of the usual heels of the Yotsuboshi uniform. Dressed like this, she almost felt _excited_ to go bushwalking and swimming and whatever else the more outdoorsy members of their group of friends had planned. 

She met Yume at breakfast. "Excited? This is going to be so fun!" the girl spoke with her usual enthusiasm, not even acknowledging the events of yesterday.  
Ako smiled, and delivered a trademark "of course I am!" with all her usual confidence. Yume smiled broadly, and then the two girls fell into chatting about Rainbow Berry Parfait while they ate. Finishing their meals, they walked back to the dorms together to go fetch their bags, and then lug them out to the front of the school. Laura, Mahiru and Koharu were already waiting outside, listening to Anna-sensei try to make lecturing them about trip rules and precuations cool. "And keep the staff informed of your movements, babies! We're letting you go by yourselves, so respect that trust. Even out in the mountains, you're still famous idols representing our academy!"  
All of the girls nodded their understanding. "Got it!"  
"Then get out there, and self-produce yourselves a nice holiday!"  
The five of them smiled. "We will!"

After all their luggage had been stored in the luggage compartment, Laura was the first girl to hop up onto the bus. "We're like a band going on tour! This gets me going!" The other girls all just looked at each other and shared a smile, then boarded one by one behind her. The bus was small, but with four rows of seats, two on each side of the aisle, there was plenty of space for the girls, and the two Venus Ark members that should be getting there soon. "Let's just all grab our own seat? Leaves room for our bags," suggested Mahiru, and that was what the girls did. Ako ended up sitting in the front row, the rest of the girls taking both sides of the middle two rows. It left her a little isolated, not able to see the other girls without turning around, but that was fine by her. She'd brought along some magazines with some nice features on M4 that she'd been meaning to re-read anyway. Before she could fish one out of the carry bag sitting on the seat beside her, though, Yume called out excitedly from two rows back. "They're here!"

Ako looked out the window, to see Kirara and Rei were wheeling their bags up the street. Rei looked almost comically ready for adventure, wearing a loose-fitting tanktop and a pair of cargo shorts that were at least fifty percent pockets. Few people could have made them look as good as she was, though. Kirara, meanwhile, was the polar opposite. Dressed even girlier than usual, she looked like she'd chosen her outfit according to what would make little girls at the mall most jealous of her, thought Ako. Big, clompy Mary Janes dressed up with frill-lined bows made from the same material, in pastel purple. More frills topping off her overknee socks, and a [short, layered skirt](https://www.bodylinetokyo.co.jp/upload/save_image/pan046_2.jpg) of dotty tulle the same colour as her shoes that poofed out from her hips enough that it might as well have been a tutu. A snug-fitting T-shirt, the requisite girly detail provided by princess sleeves accented with ribbon in a deeper purple... as well as the stylised cartoon image of an idol mid-performance emblazoned on the front. _Seriously, that's just too on the nose_ , thought Ako to herself. _And not cute at all. Well, okay, the individual pieces of the outfit are nice, but..._

The pair stowed their bags and hopped up onto the bus, Rei in front. She offered a brief bow to all the Yotsuboshi girls and a cool, "thanks for letting us come along," before she headed up towards the two pairs of empty seats in the back row. Behind her, Kirara's greeting was an enthusiastic wave. "Rei-chan!" She called out to the platinum blonde ahead of her. "Can I sit up the front with Ako-chan?" Asking permission... _She's not trying to make little girls jealous, she just **is** a little girl!_ Ako realised to herself with a self-smug grin. And then it properly occurred to her what Kirara was asking permission for. The grin quickly disappeared, and her eyes widened. "S-sit with me?!"  
"Of course! How are we going to be double muses if we don't get closer?" Kirara asked, with her usual cloying sweetness.  
"Double muses?! I already said that-" She was cut off midway by Kirara.  
"Come on, shift over!" Ako's head turned slowly to look at the spot next to her, currently occupied by her bag. Kirara couldn't mean... yes, she could. Of course she could, it was completely in character for Kirara to try to make her mad by cosying up to her like this! Her mental database had predicted it, she'd told Koharu it would happen. And Koharu had basically told her "deal with it".

Ako's face was red by the time it turned back to look up at the overdressed girl standing there in the aisle. She searched Kirara's big mauve-coloured eyes, looking for any kind of hint that she was joking, doing this just to toy with her, but found nothing but that irritatingly naive enthusiasm. Her indignant pout wavered, and her eyes showed defeat. For Koharu.  
"Very well," Ako answered huffily, grabbing her bag and standing it up against the side of the bus. She slid herself across into the window seat, and Kirara plonked down next to her.  
"Yayyyyy! Thank you, Ako-chan! We're going to have such a fun trip together!"  
Ako folded her arms and turned to look out the window, hiding the continued burning of her cheeks. "Don't get the wrong idea! I'm still going to take back Fuwa Fuwa Dream from you!"  
"Oooooh. Is that a challenge?" Kirara slid herself a little closer, and Ako felt their hips suddenly pressing together. _Too close, Kirara!_ she thought, but didn't say. _Why does she have to be like this?_  
From behind she heard Laura's voice, freely discussing with the other girls the topic of the two girls sitting up the front in close proximity. Ako sighed grumpily. No, this didn't "get her going".

Ako wasted no time in pulling out one of her magazines, prompting Kirara to reach over and block her from opening it up with her hand. "Awwww, I wanna talk!" she complained. "Ignoring your seatmate is baaaa!"  
Ako didn't answer. She'd used up enough of her mental energy just letting the girl sit with her. Instead, she pulled the magzine away from Kirara's grip and opened it up, flicking quickly through until she found the section dedicated to M4.  
She skipped straight to reading Subaru's profile, happily daydreaming about what could be. Or, trying to. She could feel Kirara's head turned beside her, shamelessly reading along herself. Could nothing deter her?!  
"Which one's your favourite?" the other girl asked, tone of voice playful.  
"Of course it's Subaru-kyun!" Hearts practically came into Ako's eyes as she stared at him on the page. She decided this was one topic she could talk about with anyone, even Kirara Hanazono.  
"Oh? I always figured you for more the Kanata Kira type," Kirara offered.  
Ako stiffened. Okay, she was wrong - not even this topic was safe. "W-what?! How would _you_ know who's my type?!"  
Kirara just shrugged, only heightening Ako's irritation. "It was just a feeling."  
"Well keep your feelings to yourself!"  
Kirara's turn to form her lips into a sour pout. "Ako-chan, you're acting cold! I was just trying to be friendly."  
Her voice sounded hurt, prompting Ako to actually turn and look at the girl beside her. Perhaps it was just down to her childish fashion and character, but she really looked like she might cry. The redhead sighed.  
"Fine... uhh... do you have a favourite?" She tried to keep the conversation going, while avoiding the topic of her feelings for that green-haired, glasses-wearing jerk.  
"Do you really wanna know?" Did Kirara just have extremely sparkly eyes, or was she really on the brink of tears? Just from this? Ako did her best to smile.  
"Yes. Whoever it is, my mental database will have plenty of information about them."  
Kirara brightened immediately.  
"Okay! My favourite is..."  
"...yes?"  
"Ako-chan!" Kirara's arms were suddenly around her, one managing to force its way between her back and the seat while the other curled around her front. She could feel the other idol's soft skin against hers, smell the cavity-inducing sweetness of Kirara's perfume, or shampoo, or _something_. Her face burned redder and redder, quickly exceeding even Ako Saotome operational limits. Her mental database froze, and so did she, sat there dumbstruck as her main rival squeezed her from side-on, head practically close enough to kiss her cheek.

"K-Kirara!" Ako finally managed to exclaim, voice indignant as she squirmed against the girl's surprisingly solid grip.  
"Mmm?" Kirara asked wordlessly, as if she was doing nothing out of the ordinary.  
"What are you... keep your hands to yourself!"  
"Sooooorry~ It's just, I just can't help it when it's you Ako-chan!" Her arms let Ako free, but she didn't stop facing her.  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ako whined, cheeks still aflame. What was _with_ this girl? Why did it get to her this much? And most importantly, why hadn't any of the girls sitting behind them come to rescue her?  
_Don't let her win. She's just pushing your buttons. Don't give her the satisfaction!_  
"Actually, never mind! But if you ever do that again, Kirara Hanazono, I won't forgive you as long as I live!"  
"I _said_ sorry..."

The two girls sat in silence after that, Kirara having wordlessly stuck out her hand to receive a magazine of her own, and quickly found one shoved angrily into it. Ako wasn't getting much reading done, though. She was chewing her lip, and wondering what might happen if she told Kirara to go find her own seat. Would that be losing to her? Would it _upset_ her?! Maybe it would disappoint Koharu, who had seemed weirdly invested in this... Ako frowned, while her mind continued to tick away. Kirara was keeping to herself now, at least. And she _had_ apologised, if that really counted for anything. Plus, she did smell really, really good. The saccharine scent of sweets should have been tacky, unrefined, overbearing. Yet Ako couldn't stop discreetly sniffing. She sighed heavily, and turned to look out the window. Pink lingered on her cheeks, and a jumble of thoughts on her mind. But for now, at least, Kirara could stay.


End file.
